THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIA - IPSOS BRIEFING
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THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIA by Kumud Ghosal, Jeevika Kapadia, Ashwini Sirsikar and Sasha Francis | January 2020 IPSOS BRIEFING INDIA
INTRODUCTION
Television was introduced in India in 1959 but for many years DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN
it was limited to state-owned broadcaster Doordarshan , 1 INDIA: FACTS AND FIGURES
which had one channel with twice-weekly, one-hour
programs. • India is the fastest growing mobile market in the
world.5
However, there has been a marked shift in the television • Not only are over half of internet users solely mobile,
entertainment options available in India today, with 48 nearly 60% accessed the internet for the first time
paid-for broadcasters, an estimated 60,000 cable operators, on their mobile phones – a clear contrast to many
6000 Multi System Operators (MSOs) and six pay direct-to- other countries, where desktop and laptop are the first
home (DTH) operators, all in addition to the public service devices used.
broadcaster – Doordarshan. In total, there are over 850
2
• The mass launch of 4G services by Reliance Jio
TV channels registered with the Ministry of Information and in 2016 and subsequent launches by other service
Broadcasting. providers was an inflection point in India’s data story.
This disruption led to a rapid surge in data usage
2016 witnessed the arrival of a revolution in content on the back of promotional offers by all leading
consumption in India, with the entry of OTT (over-the-top) telecom operators.
media services. OTT content is defined as the “productized • OTT content consumption is evolving from niche
practice of streaming content to customers directly over to mass content, with long-form content gathering
the web .” This has marked a big shift from the traditional
3
traction. The increased popularity of large screens
tune-in, “consume-what-you-are-fed” model of conventional and investments in original content creation is further
terrestrial, cable or satellite dish television, towards a new driving consumption. Live streaming has emerged as
on-demand era of choice. a focus area for OTT players, with the sports genre
especially attractive from a viewership and monetization
Given the OTT boom, 82% of users in the Indian market are point of view.6
currently engaged on free-to-view, advertising-led video- • Video is driving the data traffic. The average
on-demand platforms (like YouTube), compared to the 18% consumer spends around three to five hours consuming
who pay for content on subscription-led video-on-demand media per day, of which, 35% is spent on digital media
services (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime). 4
consumption on a mobile phone.7
There are many factors that have been conducive to the
on-demand model in India, the foremost being the growing
penetration of internet and smart phones.
.
2 IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIA
Figure 1 Digital population in India
Active
internet users
560
Million
Active mobile
internet users
515.2
Million
Active social
media users
310
Million
Active mobile
social media users 290
Million
Source: Statista (January 2019)
THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIA IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA 3STUDY AND METHODOLOGY
With the many economic and digital changes happening in For online, we included both unpaid and paid content
the Indian market, we set out to research how online and (YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netflix and HotStar). For offline, we
offline content stack up against each other in the viewer’s considered all conversations dealing with channels available
mind. One of the main sources of information for this is social through satellite TV.
media, as Indians are increasingly expressing their views
online about almost everything. We proceeded to gain an We then sifted through these conversations to weed out the
understanding of the key aspects driving users to both online junk, ads and other non-relevant content. Following this, we
and offline content, and explored the differences in these searched for relevant and insightful conversations, analyzing
trends. the data of 311 in total to unearth the themes around the
type of content being talked about for both offline and online.
We used our social intelligence tool, Synthesio , to crawl
8
social media and pull out relevant conversations that took
place over the past year in respect to both offline and online
content.
ONLINE STREAMING CONTENT: KEY THEMES
Focussing on the data for conversations around online We could ascertain three distinct themes, as highlighted in
streaming content, we examined the key themes emerging figure 2, in terms of the way the user was discussing the
around what is watched, and how. content on social media.
Figure 2 Online streaming content themes
14%
Realism
54%
Individual 32%
preferences Social
currency
Source: Social data captured through Synthesio (March-April 2019)
4 IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIATHEME 1: REALISM
Online content has built a distinct identity beyond the genre Quotations taken from online conversations tracked by
of fantasy or idealism, which was the core theme over Synthesio on the theme of realism include:
the years and dominated the content world in India. Now
we observe the trend of realism emerging, even in Indian “Loved watching #LustStories on #Netflix ... the four
cinema, with films such as Gully Boy, Gold and Toilet. We are films were so different and yet so similar in giving
witnessing an attitudinal change in the following ways: us four amazing female protagonists... an absolute
treat for all.”
• Breaking stereotypes through strong and realistic
character representations – the characters are
interestingly not perfect, but their flaws create more “I just finished watching all three seasons of
empathy Hannibal on Netflix and I’m speechless. You are
• A fresh take on existing concepts and complex plots, a creative genius. You created such a dark and
and not always a happy ending complex world. Amazing. Why do I feel like I have
• Viewers are no longer looking at content to escape had some good therapy?”
reality but are now open to coming face-to-face with a
dark reality
“Love watching Netflix on a big screen #Ghoul is
such an entertaining series and the concept is so
awesome.”
Figure 3 Most talked about online streaming shows in India
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sacred Ghoul Stranger Lost in Narcos House of Black True
Games Things Space Cards Mirror Detective
Source: Social data captured through Synthesio (March-April 2019)
THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIA IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA 5THEME 2: SOCIAL CURRENCY
Interaction with online content, especially realistic, dark, implied belief seems to be that TV is for the masses and OTT
western content, is used as a social currency by consumers. is for the classes - a divide which was earlier seen through
Sharing views is a trending phenomenon, driving offline art house versus mainstream Bollywood movies. Online
content viewers to interact with online content in order to content is also helping the viewer feel like a citizen of the
be part of the conversations. Somewhere the unstated but world, revealing new cultures, countries and lifestyles.
THEME 3: INDIVIDUALISM
Given that there are so many genres of programmes Quotations taken from online conversations tracked by
available, viewers can make choices about what they want, Synthesio on the theme of individualism include:
and don’t want, to watch. Entertainment is not limited to just
collective consumption anymore. It allows viewers to give “Watching TV with other humans just gives me
preference to their individual needs over family needs and anxiety, and that’s 100% of the time. Sometimes,
allows freedom to be themselves without any judgement. I want to watch a crappy show and shove cheese
balls into my mouth while I sprinkle crumbs all over
Online content offers better control to the viewer; access the place.”
anytime, anywhere and on any device. Interestingly, the lethal
mix of on-demand non-stop access to content, combined
“Sunday brings this for us! What did it get for you?
with the high probability of finding something that you love,
Order a yummy pizza, tune in to Netflix and let
has resulted in the phenomenon of binge watching. In fact, it
your weekend rest in peace! #SundayMotivation
can be argued that the core competition for online streaming
#WeekendWisdom #weekendvibes”
content is sleep!
This practice of binge watching also matches the youth “Ideal way to unwind after work, during weekends,
credentials of impatience, hedonism and impulsiveness. catch up on what is missed #Netflix&Chill”
BRAND REPUTATION
For online streaming content, we can see that most of the Quotations taken from online conversations tracked by
conversations are around the programmes and the different Synthesio about online content providers include:
content providers. The audience have clear perceptions about
the content provider, such as: “I intended to get a Netflix subscription, but it is too
overpriced and expensive compared to others.”
• Netflix: Quality, international content but not affordable
to all
“There isn’t much to watch on Hotstar apart from
• Amazon Prime: Good value for money with bundled
sports or missed shows on TV”
benefits on shopping and entertainment
• Hotstar: The place to go for live cricket and TV show
“Netflix has good content, Amazon Prime is a
good price”
6 IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIAOFFLINE CONTENT - THE KEY THEMES
For offline viewers, we found a number of different themes discussing offline content on social media. We can separate
emerging through our analysis of how users were these into four distinct themes (as outlined in figure 4).
Figure 4 Offline content themes
14%
Negativity
13%
Embedded in daily
routines
28%
Idealism
45%
Love for the
never-ending
Source: Social data captured through Synthesio (March-April 2019)
THEME 1: LOVE FOR THE THEME 2: EMBEDDED IN
NEVER-ENDING DAILY ROUTINES
One major theme that we can see emerging is what we are Some of the conversations around offline content are
referring to as the ‘love for the never-ending’, i.e. when about how a show has become an integral part of daily
viewers want their favourite programmes to go on endlessly. life. Interestingly, unlike online, offline content viewing is
Many of the conversations online are from a viewer urging a more about finding a slot in the viewer’s everyday life, rather
channel to never end a particular programme. than it taking over (binge watching).
Quotations taken from online conversations tracked by
Synthesio on the theme of daily routine include:
“Chilling out on the bed in your hotel room watching
television, while wearing your own pajamas, is
sometimes the best part of a vacation”
“We don’t do much in the evenings except
watch television”
THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIA IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA 7THEME 3: IDEALISM
Offline content featuring storylines with idealistic characters traditionally collective society, we are now seeing a strong
seem to connect well with the audience. India is a collective emergence of the ‘I’ within the collective. This is being
society; values such as love, nurture and family relationships reflected in brand choices and media consumption. Offline
are dear to viewers and these are reflected in the content viewers are watching family shows, in the company of their
on TV. In this context, some of the popular programmes loved ones, and upholding family values. Life is presented as
mentioned were Bepannah and Silsila. black or white, a world the traditional viewer is comfortable
with. Online viewers, on the other hand, have had enough
Clearly online and offline content are addressing two distinct of this idealistic world which neither reflects contemporary
needs reflecting the cusp of where India is currently. As a culture nor life in the truest sense, with all its shades of grey.
THEME 4: NEGATIVITY
From our analysis, we can see that offline viewers are Quotations taken from online conversations tracked by
also objecting to TV shows that make them uncomfortable. Synthesio on the theme of negativity include:
For example, those that feature themes of infidelity or
discrimination. It appears “moral policing” is higher on
“Worst show ever in the TV industry, stop
offline shows as typically the entire family watches it,
encouraging the extra marital affair.”
so any transgressions are a concern for the viewer.
“Colors TV plz stop this show. Stop spreading
negativity. It is harmful for society.”
8 IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIAFUTURE TRENDS
Through our research at Ipsos, and insights from the industry Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make recommendations to
in general, we can make a number of predictions about future the user based on their viewing history.12 The role of AI is
trends for offline and online content consumption: increasingly integral to how we discover content.
• Given that offline and online content seem to be satisfying • Although online streaming services provide depth in
two distinct needs, offline TV will continue to hold a content choice, discovering content that viewers like
special place for viewers in India. India is a collective
9
requires time and research. People are increasingly
society where TV watching is almost a family ritual, which time-poor, unable to search for content that is relevant
many households still hold on to.10 There is also a huge and interesting to them. In future, OTT providers will be
consumption base in rural India and amongst the older curating content based on viewers friends’ preferences
generation for whom watching on a big screen is the and recommendations, just like good reads in Kindle.
preferred experience. They can relate better to the content Additionally, the search interface needs to be more
on television, and it delivers the best value for money. user-friendly and intuitive – currently an area of
improvement for Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
• In order for OTT players to attract viewers from offline,
some of the following strategies could be implemented: • A reason for preferring online to offline content is
because there is better control for the viewer - they
- In terms of content, there are certain genres, such decide what, and when, to watch. Extending the
as romance, which are not as well represented same rationale to a show, i.e. control in deciding the
in online content as in offline content, so online storyline, is the next level for the viewer, possibly across
content providers might want to focus on these. both online and offline media. Content which is more
- Currently, online content has an English-speaking immersive and participative is also seen to be more
westernized profile and that is what our social engaging.
listening tool has tapped into. However, a change
in user demographics from a digital savvy youth in • Price is a barrier to adoption for online streaming
top cities to tier 1 and 1 cities across geographies content. 13 Different price rates by types of content
and socioeconomic classes is having an effect. (English, regional etc.) could be an option in future.
According to a recent report, 40% of OTT platform Sachet pricing could also be introduced - offering daily/
viewership comes from regional content.11 To attract weekly subscriptions instead of monthly. 14
this offline and/or regional content viewer, there
needs to be some bridge content which cuts across
different sets of viewers in India. Interestingly Sacred
Games, a bilingual show, has done this successfully. In future, OTT providers
- Given that a large segment of online content viewers
are using their mobile screens to watch programmes,
will be curating content
the content needs to work well on all devices and based on viewers
friends’ preferences and
phones with different kinds of capabilities.
• Increasingly, viewers are consuming shows based on
their individual preferences. Tapping into this need for
recommendations, just
personalization is important. For example, Netflix uses like good reads in Kindle.
THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIA IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA 9CONCLUSION
Our methodology is a good indicator for understanding For example, one of the reasons for the success of Sacred
viewer attitudes and perceptions of online vs offline media, Games on Netflix in India was that it filled a gap in the
considering how freely people share their opinions, views market for a slick thriller in Hindi. Thriller is a comparatively
and interests on social media today. Social media data is a unexplored genre in Indian movies/TV and only in the last
useful way of capturing trends and is as close to being ‘in the three years have they found a consumption market. Sacred
moment’ as possible, with postings usually happening while Games exposed the dark underbelly of India, combining
the viewer is watching a program, or shortly afterwards. the themes of friendship, lust, betrayal and power in a
contemporary manner. Similarly, the success of Lust Stories,
It’s important to note, however, that social media data tends a show which talks about four independent women exploring
to be skewed more towards the younger and higher socio- their passions openly (a somewhat taboo topic), reflects
economic classes. Online streaming content also seems to a larger societal change happening in India with women
generate more conversations on social media than offline becoming more assertive, independent, uninhibited and open
content. Hence social media data alone is not enough for in their acknowledgment of their physical and emotional
a thorough analysis of consumer preferences. Additionally, needs. For any content provider it is important to have a
we need to adopt a cultural lens to understand consumers’ sense of the cultural shifts and hot topics which are capturing
content needs and how society is changing. Trends in the pulse of the viewer.
media consumption are often led by larger cultural changes
happening around us.
10 IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIAABOUT SYNTHESIO
The Ipsos trend radar and social analytics tool which listening data in over 80 languages to provide access to
uses the Synthesio platform helps to surface trends by the most complete collection of data on the market. More
tracking top performing content and hashtags across social details of this can be found here: www.synthesio.com/signals/
networks. Synthesio is owned by Ipsos and sources social
REFERENCES
1. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/ 8. https://www.synthesio.com/
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cms?from=mdr
4. https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/
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newsid-101114450
FURTHER READING
• The Digital First Journey, KPMG 2017: https://assets.
kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/in/pdf/2017/10/The-Digital-
First-journey.pdf
THE EVOLUTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN INDIA IPSOS BRIEFING | INDIA 11BRIEFING INDIA Kumud Ghosal Executive Director, Ipsos UU, Ipsos in India Jeevika Kapadia Research Director, Ipsos UU, Ipsos in India Ashwini Sirsikar Service Line Leader, Ipsos in India Sasha Francis Research Manager, Social Intelligence Analytics, Ipsos in India The Ipsos Briefing papers are produced by the Ipsos Knowledge Centre. www.ipsos.com @Ipsos
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